Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm Complete Guitar Edition

Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm Complete Guitar Edition by Dix Bruce.

Learn 29 great swing standards in the style of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and the Quintette of the Hot Club of France. Two original volumes combined in one book, plus 5 new bonus tunes! Download and play along with a great Gypsy Swing band, learn chords, comping, melodies, then let the band back you up as you solo. We’ll jam all night long!

Book (110 page/8 1/2 by 11 inch hard copy publication) with included downloadable audio. 

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Additional Details

• Gypsy Swing original Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 books combined into one volume with 5 new songs!

• Learn melodies & chord progressions to 29 great Gypsy Swing songs

• Learn moveable closed-position swing/jazz guitar chords

• Learn the swing guitar rhythm comp (how to get that “Hot Club”-rhythm sound!)

• Download and jam along with a great “Hot Club”-style band (almost 200 minutes of play-along audio!)

• Play along and practice rhythm and soloing as the band backs you up. We’ll jam all night long!

• Music includes standard notation, guitar tablature, chords, and lyrics

• Bonus downloadable music and exercises!

Beginners can practice basic skills while more advanced players can hone their improvisation chops, each at their own individual learning pace.

Book includes standard notation, tablature, guitar chord diagrams, lyrics, playing tips, and more. Each song (see “Contents” below) is presented on the downloadable audio at slow and regular speed. First you’ll hear the melody played at a slow speed with just guitar backup, then it’s repeated at regular speed with the band. The back up band is a classic “Hot Club”- style rhythm section with two acoustic rhythm guitars and string bass.

Split track mixing on the recording allows the student to hear just the melody (while reading along in the book) or just the rhythm section, or both for maximum flexibility and specific study. Leads are played on Selmer-style guitar for that Gypsy Swing sound. Finally the band plays several choruses and you play all the leads. Songs may be repeated, at slow or regular speed, as many times as you wish in order to perfect phrases, melodies and solos in a band context. Potential for improvement is unlimited. Mandolin version also available.

(If you’re interested in copies of the original four Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm books, two each for guitar and mandolin, see the bottom of this page.)

Read the author’s blog on writing the Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm book/audio sets. Click here.

Comments on Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm Complete:

Dix Bruce has created a beautifully crafted set of books on learning Gypsy Jazz.

They are  clear and concise with many details and secrets about what goes into making this style so captivating.

These are not simply books of charts for the tunes. Instead Dix takes us deeper and explains which chord voicings will work on both instruments and has provided TAB for both as well. There’s also a little bit of theory thrown in to help students unlock some of the harmonic mysteries of jazz.

I’m sure if you  follow Dix’s advice your playing will step up to the next level.

Well done Dix!

Mike Marshall, multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher

I really enjoyed “Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm Complete (Guitar Edition)” by Dix Bruce. I’ve been playing guitar for fifty years but never really explored Gypsy Jazz. This was perfect for me. The tunes were the ones I wanted to learn. And the the backing tracks are fun and they really swing. Highly recommended!

Michael Williams, Music Department, Los Medanos College, Pittsburg, CA

This is a great book for Gypsy Swing enthusiasts of all levels! It gives you both the big picture, with information covering scales, chords, feel and technique, as well as detailed analysis of individual tunes and strategies to play them. This, coupled with the great backing tracks (played by real musicians), gives you everything you need to get started and then delve deep into the genre.

Too often, these sorts of books provide a lot of information without much context or guidance. “Play this scale over this chord, now off you go…” Dix manages to find the perfect balance between leading you safely into and through the woods without stifling your own sense of discovery and direction. Bravo.

Mike Wollenberg, guitarist

Review of Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm Complete
by Ross Cherednik

This is a thorough rewrite incorporating everything from the author’s prior Gypsy Swing song books and quite a bit more, including additional songs and some well researched background information. The extensive new text gives a thorough background on this sort of music and offers appropriate musical references. This does not simply repeat old material but adds significant new information. Can’t wait to see what he does next!

CONTENTS:

Introduction

Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm

How to Work with the Book and Recordings

Swing Guitar Rhythm

Avalon

Some of These Days

After You’ve Gone

Baby Won’t You Please Come Home?

Swing in Minor

Chicago

St. Louis Blues

The Sheik of Araby

China Boy

Rose Room

Dark Eyes

Swingin’ Like ’42

Limehouse Blues

Chinatown, My Chinatown

St. James Infirmary

Clouds and Shadows

Modifying Chord Forms

Margie

Whispering

El Choclo

(Back Home Again in) Indiana

Django’s Djazz Blues

Red Wing Swing

Stumbling

Tiger Rag

The Mysterious Diminished Seven Chord

Five previously unreleased songs:

21st Century Blues

The Japanese Sandman

My Melancholy Baby

A Note on Improvising or “Now what do I play?”

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

The World is Waiting for the Sunrise

Django & Stephane’s Recorded Solos & More

Alphabetical Index

The band, l. to r.: Jason Vanderford, Steve Hanson, Dix Bruce.

Samples:
Sample pages
Audio sample 1
Audio sample 2

Watch Dix demonstrate how to work with the Gypsy Swing & Hot Club Rhythm sets on Guitar.

Customer comment:

Dix,
I received my copy of the Gypsy Swing Complete book and though I’ve only played two or three songs from it so far, I can say I am really enjoying it! I have some friends that would enjoy this too so I will be talking to them about it for sure. If you continue to put out such great song books, I’ll continue buying them.
–J.S.

“Dear Dix,
First time, ever, writing a letter like this. But, felt compelled to… I’m 61 years old and started playing guitar about 3 1/2 years ago … The music that makes me happy to be alive is Gypsy Swing. I have bought DVDs by ***, ***, and about three others. Also books on Django and books on arpeggios etc., etc., etc..

All of this was so over my head, so overwhelming, so frustrating. Most of the technique and scales and arpeggios were disjointed and had really no similarity to the music I was listening to. Not their fault, just over my level.

… Three weeks ago I came across your book/CD “Gypsy Swing and Hot Club Rhythm for Guitar.” … I started with “Avalon” — right away I liked the format with the chord diagrams, the melody, and the finger number placements [tablature] for the melody. Now, what’s most amazing is that I spent hours watching the *** tapes and still (for some strange reason) could not get the “le Pompe” sound. (Granted I blame myself or my level of understanding). Yet immediately I picked it up from you, Jason, and Steve…

After playing “Avalon” and “The Sheik” I immediately ordered the second book/CD. I’ve spent 3 weeks so far with the 1st book and plan to spend a lot more time with it before I move on. I love the use of the 7th and 6th chords. “Swingin’ Like ’42” is just what I’m talking about. The melody is great. I can play it medium slow but it still sounds great. That’s the Django sound.”
– G.N. Long Beach, NY

Customer comment: “…Thanks for the (downloadable) ‘extras’ for the Gypsy Swing book. A good mix of easy and challenging songs, songs & tunes I know and some I hadn’t heard before, in keys I usually avoid. Thanks…”
– S.H. Urbandale, IA